Therapeutic Instrumental Music Training and Motor Imagery in Post-Stroke Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation: A Randomized-Controlled Pilot Study.
Catherine M Haire, Luc Tremblay, Veronica Vuong and 5 others
PMID 34977544WHAT IT FOUND
Thirty adults with chronic stroke improved upper-limb function after 3 weeks of music-based training, whether they practiced physically or added motor imagery.
Adding an external rhythm cue during imagery did not help and may have hindered gains compared with physical practice alone.
Key findings
01All three groups showed significant improvement in upper-limb motor function (Fugl-Meyer and Wolf Motor Function Test) from pretest to post-test.
02On the Fugl-Meyer test, the group doing only music-based physical practice improved significantly more than the group adding motor imagery with an external metronome cue.
03There were no significant differences between groups on the Wolf Motor Function Test, and no group improved in perceived quality of movement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a small pilot study with only 10 participants per group, limiting the reliability of the findings. There was no follow-up assessment, so it is unknown if the improvements lasted after the 3 weeks ended. Participants had varied stroke locations and types, which may have affected how well they responded to the different imagery conditions. The study did not include a control group receiving standard care or no treatment, so natural recovery or placebo effects cannot be ruled out.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was not explicitly stated in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that motor imagery is superior to physical practice. The group adding imagery with a metronome actually improved less than the group doing only physical practice on the primary impairment measure, and all groups improved similarly on functional tasks.